SINGLE VEHICLE APPROVAL (SVA)

IMPORTANT NEWS FOR ALL KIT CAR OWNERS

From the 1st May 1998 (deferred from 1st January), radically altered vehicles and kit cars, considered by the Agency to be registered for the first time, are now required to undergo a Single Vehicle Approval test before they are registered.

Vehicles subject to alteration, whose details have been notified to the Agency and retained their original registration marks, are not required to take the SVA test. However there may be some vehicles modified away from their original specification, which have not been notified as altered that may need to be tested.

LATEST INFORMATION:

I have spoken to Tim Duffee, who has a copy of the SVA Inspection Manual, and it would appear that kit cars purchased prior to 1st January 1998 are exempt from the majority of the requirements unless first registered as kit cars on or after 1st January 2000, so things don't look quite so bleak as they first might have appeared.

The "SVA Inspection Manual" costs £25 and may be obtained from the "Vehicle Inspectorate" at 91-92 The Strand, Swansea, SA1 2DH: Tel. 01792-458888.

The test fee will be £165 and it has been confirmed to me that there will be no discount for testing against the considerably reduced requirements for kits purchased prior to 1st January 1998.

Further Information

Further details about the SVA Test were included in the February issues of both "Which Kit" and "Kit Car" magazines. "Kit Car" magazine also included a very informative free supplement explaining many of the SVA Test requirements. I'm sure that they will be happy to supply back issues.

From information provided in a DVLA leaflet obtained at the 1998 Classic Car Show, amateur-built vehicles, which the DVLA determines may retain the original registration mark, do not need to comply with the SVA requirements. To qualify as amateur-built, the vehicle must be constructed/assembled for your own personal use and:

• the construction/assembly or a substantial part of it must have been carried out by you or other persons acting on your behalf,

 and

• during the period of construction/assembly, neither you nor any of the other persons involved, carried on a business in the course of which motor vehicles are normally constructed or assembled.

The Registration of Rebuilt or Radically Altered Vehicles and Kit Cars

For further information about the registration in the UK of previously unregistered vehicles, an explanatory leaflet (INF26) is available from the DVLA or your local VRO.

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©John E.F.Rawlins (New Davrian Register) 2009